After losing the Super Bowl in 2023, the 49ers missed the playoffs last year for the first time since 2020. They gave up 47 more points than they scored, which was well below their previous two years (2022 – +173 and 2023 – +193). Kyle Shanahan has 70-62 over eight seasons as San Francisco’s head coach, while going 8-4 in the playoffs. His teams have won two games in each of their trips to the postseason. From 2008 to 2016, he was the offensive coordinator for Houston, Washington, Cleveland, and Atlanta.
The 49ers signed Klay Kubiak to run this offense over the winter. He’s been in San Francisco’s coaching tree since 2021, while holding the position of offensive passing game specialist last year. Their offense has ranked in the top five in offensive yards over the past three seasons, but they underachieved in points scored (389 – 13th) in 2024.
Robert Saleh returns to San Fran as their defensive coordinator this year after holding the same role with the 49ers from 2017 to 2020. In between, he struggled to win games for the Jets (20-36) over four seasons. Saleh worked as an offensive consultant for the Green Bay Packers in 2024. His first NFL job (defensive intern) was in 2025. San Francisco’s defense finished eighth in yards allowed, but allowed 436 points (29th, 138 more than in 2023).
Christian McCaffrey’s injury last year changed the dynamic of the 49ers’ offense in 2024. They slipped to 12th in rushing yards (4.7), with 17 touchdowns and 13 runs of 20 yards or more. San Fran averaged 26.9 carries per game.
The 49ers ranked fourth in passing yards (4,424), but they struggled to finish drives with touchdowns (23) via the pass. Their quarterback averaged 8.3 yards per pass attempt while tossing 16 interceptions. San Francisco led the NFL in completions of 20 yards or more (66). Their offensive line gave up 36 sacks.
San Francisco 49ers Quarterbacks
Brock Purdy, SF
Over four seasons at Iowa, Purdy passed for 12,170 yards with 81 touchdowns and 33 interceptions over 48 starts. He added 365 rushes for 1,177 yards and 19 touchdowns. The 49ers drafted him in the seventh round in 2022.
Injuries at quarterback in his rookie season led to San Francisco giving Purdy their starting job in Week 13. Over his eight games, he went 8-0, with 1,854 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, and three interceptions. Purdy completed 66.8% of his passes with elite yards per pass attempt (8.4). His impact showing came in the first game of the postseason (348 yards and four scores). With him behind center, San Fran averaged 27.5 passes.
His season ended in the Super Bowl due to an ACL injury in his right elbow that required surgery in mid-February.
Purdy returned to the starting lineup in Week 1 in 2023. Over his 19 starts (including the postseason), he went 14-5 with a trip to the Super Bowl. Over his 16 starts in the regular season, Purdy averaged 27.8 passes, leading to 4,424 combined yards with 33 touchdowns. He finished seventh in quarterback scoring (351.50) in four-point passing touchdown leagues while sitting out Week 18 (rest).
His best two days came in Week 11 (347/3) and Week 13 (323/4) while delivering four touchdowns in two other matchups (252/4 and 242/4). Purdy gained 9.6 yards per pass attempt, highlighted by his 72 completions of 20 yards or more (14 reached the 40-yard mark).
Christian McCaffrey and Brandon Aiyuk injuries, paired with a regression season for Deebo Samuel, led to Purdy seeing a downtick in his completion rate (65.9%) while continuing to make big plays (8.5 yards per pass attempt with 12 completions gaining at least 40 yards). He set career highs in rushes (65), rushing yards (323), and rushing touchdowns (5), adding another level to his fantasy value.
Purdy missed Week 12 with a right shoulder injury, and he sat out the final game of the year with an elbow issue. His passing opportunity (30.3 passes per game) rose by 8.3% while remaining well below the league average. He was on pace to pass for 4,379 yards and 23 touchdowns, with the latter falling below expectations. Purdy passed for over 300 yards in five matchups (319/1, 353/2, 325/2, 313/2, and 377/3), with his day in fantasy points coming in Week 17 (36.05). He scored over 20.00 fantasy points in 60% of his starts.
Fantasy Outlook: Purdy ranked 14th in fantasy points (320.50) in four-point passing touchdowns leagues, which would have pushed him to about ninth if he had played 17 games. In early July, Purdy is the 12th-ranked quarterback. The 49ers signed him to a five-year extension for $265 million in mid-May, showing their confidence in his future.
BREAKING: 49ers and QB Brock Purdy agree to terms on a five-year, $265M contract extension, including $181M in total guarantees. (via @RapSheet, @TomPelissero, @MikeGarafolo) pic.twitter.com/X9rbw300WN
— NFL (@NFL) May 16, 2025
San Francisco’s wide receiving corps is in flux this season, with Brandon Aiyuk coming off a significant injury, and Ricky Pearsall and Jauan Jennings needing to prove their fantasy value over multiple seasons. A healthy Christian McCaffrey sets the tone for this offense, giving Purdy more ammo to deliver yards and touchdowns. His floor should be 4,500 combined yards with at least 30 touchdowns.
Mac Jones, SF
After a successful preseason in his rookie campaign, New England quickly shifted to Jones as their starting quarterback. His year started with a 2-4 record while delivering 245 passing yards per game with seven combined touchdowns and six interceptions. Jones led the Patriots to wins in each matchup over the next seven weeks despite averaging under 200 passing yards and 24.7 passes.
Due to the weather, he had an outlier game in Week 13 vs. the Bills (only three pass attempts). Over his final five starts (including the playoffs), Jones went 1-4 with eight touchdowns and seven interceptions.
In 2022, Jones started the season with two quiet games (213/1 and 252/1) before throwing the ball better vs. the Ravens in Week 3 (321/0 and five rushed for 31 yards and a score with eight completions over 20 yards). Unfortunately, he suffered a high ankle sprain after his third interception, leading to three missed games and minimal excitement for the rest of the season. Jones averaged 221 passing yards over his final 10 starts (including the postseason) with 12 touchdowns and six interceptions while gaining only 6.4 yards per pass attempt. His only game of value (382/2) came in Week 12.
The lack of receiving weapons on the Patriots led to another down season by Jones in 2023. He went 2-9 over his 11 starts, with his only pulse coming in Week 1 (316/3). Over his final nine games, Jones averaged 180.4 passing yards with seven touchdowns and 11 interceptions. The Patriots benched him over their final six matchups.
An injury to Trevor Lawrence led to Jones starting seven games for the Jaguars. He went 2-5 with only eight touchdowns and eight interceptions. His best showing came in Week 15 (323/2). Jones has a favorable completion rate (65.3%) while gaining only 6.4 yards per pass attempt.
Fantasy Outlook: Over four seasons, Jones has made 49 starts (20-29), but the luster in his game left the building in 2021 (10-7). The 49ers signed him for veteran insurance at quarterback in the offseason.
The Christian McCaffrey’s impact in the 49ers’ offense is highlighted by their drop in touches (89) between 2024 (441) and 2023 (530), and their running back scoring (12 last season and 33 in 2023). San Francisco’s backs continued to make significant plays (4.8 yards per catch and 9.8 yards per catch), but they set three-year lows in rushing (1,812) and receiving (614) yards.
Christian McCaffrey, SF
McCaffrey led fantasy leagues in running back scoring in PPR leagues in 2018 (387.0) and 2019 (471.2). He finished with 403 touches in 2019 while only being the third player in NFL history to gain over 1,000 yards rushing (1,387) and receiving (1,005). McCaffrey surpassed 100 yards rushing in six of his first nine games, but none over the final seven weeks. Carolina featured him more in the passing games (68/609/1) over the back half of the season, highlighted by three outings (11/121, 11/82, and 15/119). McCaffrey had 10 catches or more in five games.
He averaged 28.7 touches per game (30.13 FPPG) in 2020 while missing 13 weeks with ankle, thigh, and shoulder injuries. In 2021, McCaffrey played well over his seven starts (785 combined yards with two touchdowns and 37 catches). His regression in scoring led to 18.21 FPPG with a step down in touches (19.4 per week) due to his injuries (hamstring and ankle).
After missing 24 games in 2020 and 2021, McCaffrey played the entire season in 2022, leading to 1,880 combined yards with 13 touchdowns and 85 catches. In his 13 full games with the 49ers, he averaged 22.34 FPPG and 19.5 touches. His best two fantasy-point showings came in Week 8 (40.60) and Week 17 (31.30).
In 2023, McCaffrey posted his second-best season (2,023 combined yards with 21 touchdowns and 67 catches on 339 touches) in his first entire season with the 49ers. He had a floor of 18 touches in 15 of his 16 starts (21.2 per game), leading to eight games with at least 100 yards rushing, plus four other outcomes with more than 100 combined yards.
McCaffrey finished with 102.80 more fantasy points in PPR formats than the second-best running back while ranking behind CeeDee Lamb (405.20 fantasy points) in overall fantasy points. His two impact games came in Week 4 (29/106/3 plus seven catches for 71 yards and one touchdown) and Week 15 (18/115/1 with five catches for 72 yards and two scores), both coming against Arizona.
The 49ers and McCaffrey hoodwinked the fantasy market last summer. He was a consensus top 5 pick in most drafts until September. His calf issue in August suddenly turned into an Achilles issue before Week 1, landing him on the injured list for eight games. After underperforming expectations over four games (348 combined yards with no touches and 15 catches on 65 touches), San Francisco lost him for the remainder of the year with a knee injury.
Fantasy Outlook: With 33 starts with the 49ers in 2022 and 2023, and the keys to an elite running back opportunity in a high-profile offense, McCaffrey played at a beast level. His summer reports have been positive, leading to him moving up draft boards in June and early July (fifth running back). At age 29 and with a healthy season, a fantasy market should expect 1,800+ yards with 20 touchdowns and 70+ catches.
The pessimist in me is concerned with a second Achilles injury that would end his season. I can’t predict when a player will get hurt, and fading impact players can lead to empty pockets if that player stays healthy. My advice would be to buy a share if you’re drafting multiple teams while looking to invest at a discount rather than overpaying.
San Francisco 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey says he is the healthiest he has been in several seasons. pic.twitter.com/kUkyy6MXAf
— NFL Rumors (@nflrums) July 13, 2025
Isaac Guerendo, SF
The Wisconsin Badgers gave Guerendo only 119 touches over five seasons, resulting in 706 combined yards, seven touchdowns, and 20 catches. Two hamstring injuries and foot issues cost him playing time over the course of three years. A transfer to Louisville led to an active role in 2023 (132/810/11 with 22 catches for 234 yards).
The 49ers drafted him in the fourth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Guerendo ran a 4.33 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine. He runs with power and a purpose while having a high floor in pass protection and catching the ball. His foundation skill set has room for growth, but he must stay healthy.
Injuries at running back for the 49ers led to Guerendo earning better-than-expected touches in four games (10/99, 102 combined yards with one touchdown and three catches, 15/78/2 with two catches for 50 yards, and 75 combined yards with four catches). Unfortunately, he missed time due to foot, hamstring, and knee injuries, which seems like par for his course based on his college resume.
Fantasy Outlook: I respect his success last year, and he could surprise with a starting job. On the downside, his injury risk may outweigh his ceiling, creating a better opportunity behind him on the depth chart for another back if Christian McCaffrey has an injury. Guerendo is the 41st-ranked running back in early July.
Jordan James, SF
James saw his playing time increase each year over his three seasons at Oregon. Last year, he gained 1,476 combined yards with 15 touchdowns and 26 catches on 259 touches. James flashed more explosiveness running the ball in 2023 (7.1 yards per catch) while working in a rotational role.
Many of James’s assets grade below the NFL average, highlighted by his 40-yard time (4.55). The next step in his development is to incorporate patience into his runs, allowing holes to open up naturally. He’ll win with power while offering open field value. James has a winnable floor in pass protection that invites a three-down role if needed.
Fantasy Outlook: His fresher legs and healthier career path may lead to him securing the RB2 for the 49ers in his rookie season. James will go undrafted in most 12-team formats, but he is a player to follow this summer.
Other Options: Israel Abanikanda, Corey Kiner, Patrick Taylor
San Francisco 49ers Wide Receivers
The 49ers’ increase in passing attempts in 2024 resulted in new highs over the past three seasons in catches (199) and targets (312). They lost momentum in touchdowns (12) while gaining fewer yards per catch (13.1 – 15.7 in 2023).
Brandon Aiyuk, SF
After playing well in his rookie season (60/748/5) over 12 games, Aiyuk fell short of expectations in 2021 while being outplayed by Deebo Samuel by a wide margin. His catch rate (66.7) improved from 2020 (62.5), along with his yards per catch (14.8 – 12.5 in 2020), but the 49ers gave him only 4.9 targets per game. He finished with 56 catches for 843 yards and five scores, ranking him 35th in wide receiver scoring (171.50) in PPR formats.
His season started with emptiness over the first seven games (13/141/1 on 23 targets), making him unplayable in all fantasy formats. The transition to a part-time runner for Samuel led to Aiyuk picking up the pace in the passing attack over his final 10 matchups (43/685/4 on 61 targets), highlighted by four games (6/89/1, 7/85/1, 6/62/1, and 6/107).
In 2022, Aiyuk emerged as the 49ers’ top receiving option, leading to career highs in catches (78), receiving yards (1,015), touchdowns (8), and targets (114). His two impact games came in Week 6 (8/83/2) and Week 17 (9/117/1). He had a floor of 10.00 fantasy points in 10 other matchups. Aiyuk ranked 16th in fantasy points (228.80) for wide receiver in PPR formats.
San Francisco featured Aiyuk more in the deep passing game in 2023, leading to an impressive 17.9 yards per catch (28 of his 75 catches gained at least 20 yards – 37.3%). He finished with a career-high in receiving yards (1,342) while falling short of his other category tops due to sitting out one game (shoulder issue). Aiyuk gained over 100 yards in seven matchups (8/129/2, 6/148, 5/109, 5/156/1, 6/126, 6/113, and 7/114/1). The 49ers gave him six targets or fewer in half of his starts. He finished 14th in fantasy points (250.20) in PPR formats.
Late last August, San Fran signed Aiyuk to a four-year extension for $120 million, but he was a fantasy bust in six (2/28, 4/43, 5/48, 2/48, 2/37, and 2/23) of his seven starts. His only game of value came in Week 5 (8/147). A torn ACL in his right knee ended his season in late October.
Brandon Aiyuk insane hurdle touchdown 🔥 pic.twitter.com/OgxqWX0xr5
— Football’s Greatest Moments (@FBGreatMoments) July 1, 2025
Fantasy Outlook: Aiyuk has surgery in the middle of November, giving him nine and a half months to recover from his knee injury. I’m not a fan of buying players coming off significant injuries, but he does have a favorable wide receiver ranking (50th) as of early July. With a quiet start to next year in September, Aiyuk still would have a chance at 65 catches for 900 yards and five touchdowns, giving him WR3 status in PPR formats. His summer reports have been positive, suggesting a climb up draft boards in August.
Jauan Jennings, SF
Jennings had a minimal opportunity over five seasons in college (146/2,153/19 on 213 targets). His best success came in 2019 (59 catches for 969 yards and eight touchdowns on 92 targets).
In his first season (2021) with snaps for the 49ers, Jennings created some mismatches due to his size (6’3” and 210 lbs.), leading to five of his 24 catches resulting in scores. The 49ers gave him only 13 targets over his first 11 games (8/70/2). He flashed in Week 18 (6/94/2) while earning five targets per game over the final five matchups (16/212/3).
In 2022, Jennings upped his output to 35 catches for 416 yards and one score on 56 targets. The injury to Deebo Samuel helped boost his chances. He posted only one game (6/49/1) of value.
Despite a pullback in production (19/265/1) in 2023, San Francisco rewarded him with a two-year deal the following May for $15.4 million. The 49ers gave him a more active role in the postseason (5/61 and 4/42/1).
After two games (5/64 and 2/37) in 2024, Jennings earned a start in Week 3 with Deebo Samuel out of action. He posted his best game (11/175/3 – 46.50 fantasy points in PPR leagues), which accounted for 22.1% of his fantasy points (210.50 – 24th) on the year. Unfortunately, over the following five weeks, Jennings gave back his games in three matchups (3/88, 1/13, and 3/27 on 15 targets) while missing two games with a hip injury.
The 49ers upped his usage over his final nine starts, leading to 52 catches for 571 yards and three touchdowns on 77 targets, highlighted by his success in Week 11 (10/91/1) and Week 14 (7/90/2). Jennings’ inconsistent showings made him challenging to time. By missing his best three weeks (28 catches for 356 yards and six touchdowns), a fantasy manager received only WR4 stats (49/618/0 – 9.24 FPPG) over his other 12 games.
Fantasy Outlook: Jennings is the first 49ers’ wide receiver drafted this year, with a 37th ranking in early July. He’s in a contract year while coming off career highs in catches (77), receiving yards (975), touchdowns (6), and targets (113). San Francisco will give him WR2 snaps this year while also seeing a bump in targets in September as the 49ers ease Brandon Aiyuk into action. Let’s start the bidding at 70 catches for 850 yards and seven touchdowns.
Ricky Pearsall, SF
Over his last three seasons at Arizona State and Florida, Pearsall caught 146 of his 217 targets for 2,206 yards and 13 touchdowns with some value in the run game (17/219). He gained 15.1 yards per catch, which is surprising for a player expected to work out of the slot in the NFL. His best output came over five games (5/103/1, 5/148/1, 6/123/1, 10/166/1, and 7/103) in 2022 and 2023.
The 49ers saw enough in his game to draft Pearsall 31st overall in the 2024 NFL Draft. At the combine, he ran a 4.41 40-yard dash while showcasing his strength (17 reps of 225 lbs.). His route running looks exceptional coming to San Francisco while offering winning hands. He must improve his release vs. physical defenders while potentially being a beast against zone coverage.
Pearsall opened his rookie season with six missed games due to a shoulder injury. He only had 17 catches for 190 yards and one touchdown on 28 targets. His season ended with two exciting outcomes (8/147/1 and 6/69/1 on 18 targets). The 49ers gave him WR3 and WR1 snaps in these two matchups.
Fantasy Outlook: The fantasy market has high hopes for Pearsall in his second year with the 49ers, based on his 41st wide receiver ranking in early July. To reach par for his current price point, he needs to post a 65/800/5 season. I don’t see him reaching this plateau if Christian McCaffrey stays healthy.
Demarcus Robinson, SF
From 2019 to 2022, Robinson was a rotational third/fourth wide receiver for the Chiefs and Ravens. His production (32/449/4, 45/466/3, 25/264/3, and 48/458/2) was never high enough to make him a trusted fantasy asset in any year.
The Rams signed him in June of 2023 but failed to utilize him over the first eight games. From Week 13 to Week 17, Robinson offered starting fantasy stats (15.84 FPPG) in all five matchups (4/55/1, 3/46/1, 2/44/1, 6/82/1, and 6/92). Last season, he finished with 31 catches for 505 yards and seven touchdowns on 64 targets, with only one winning day (6/94/2).
Fantasy Outlook: Robinson provides veteran experience to the 49ers’ wide receiving corps. His resume gives him the opportunity to post winning fantasy results at times, provided he’s given starting snaps.
Other Options: Jacob Cowing, Jordan Watkins, Junior Bergen, Isaiah Neyor
The decline in running back chances in the passing game in 2024 for the 49ers went to their tight ends on most plays. They set three-year highs in catches (89), receiving yards (1,203), and targets (110). Their tight ends account for 25.5% of San Francisco’s receptions and 27% of their receiving yards.
George Kittle, SF
Kittle started 2022 with two missed games due to a groin issue. Over his first 11 starts, he caught 42 of his 59 targets for 500 yards and four touchdowns. The change to Brock Purdy at quarterback led to Kittle shining over his final four weeks (4/93/2, 6/120/2, 4/23/1, and 4/29/2) of the regular season. His other three games of value came in Week 6 (8/83), Week 7 (6/98/1, and Week 11 (4/84/2).
The 49ers’ offensive style in 2023 led to boom-or-bust outcomes for Kittle. He had seven productive games (7/90, 3/67/3, 9/149, 3/116/1, 8/89/1, 7/126, and 4/81/1) while scoring under eight fantasy points in nine matchups (including the postseason). San Francisco gave Kittle four targets or fewer in 11 of his 19 starts. Even with his roller coaster ride, he finished fifth in tight end scoring (203.20) in PPR formats.
Last season, Kittle gained over 1,000 yards for the fourth time in his career despite missing another two games with foot and hamstring issues. From Week 2 to Week 12, over eight games, he scored all eight of his touchdowns while scoring over 20.00 fantasy points in five contests (7/76/1, 8/64/1, 5/58/2, 6/128/1, and 6/82/1). His season ended with over 100 receiving yards in three (6/151, 8/106, and 8/112) over the final five weeks. Kittle ranked seventh in tight end targets but third in fantasy points (236.60).
He’s missed 16 weeks over the past five years. Over his last 98 games, he averaged five catches for 71 yards and 0.44 touchdowns per game (14.74 FPPG).
Fantasy Outlook: Kittle is the third tight end drafted this year, matching output from last year. Brock Purdy will have more receiving options in 2025, suggesting fewer chances for their tight ends. His scoring and big-play ability for a tight end help his floor while offering an explosive ceiling in some matchups. For Kittle to offer repeated value, he must secure over six targets a game (2022 – 5.7 and 2023 – 5.6).
Can George Kittle finish as the TE1?👇🧵#FTTB pic.twitter.com/ZOkN71KMc9
— Michael Hauff (@TheFFRealist) June 26, 2025
Other Options: Luke Farrell, Ross Dwelley, Brayden Willis, Jake Tonges
San Francisco 49ers Kicker
Jake Moody, SF
Over his final two seasons at Michigan, Moody made 54 of his 60 field goals. All of his 116 extra-point tries went through the uprights. His leg projected well from long range.
The transition to the NFL worked well in his rookie season. He made 21 of his 25 field goals (84.0%) while missing one of his 61 extra points. The 49ers gave him three chances from 50 yards or more (2-for-3).
Moody put his job at risk last season by making only 70.6% of his 34 field goals, with all 10 of his misses coming from 40 yards or more. He went 4-for-9 from 50 yards or more. Moody had all but one of his 33 extra points. An ankle injury cost him three games.
Fantasy Outlook: San Francisco scored 42 touchdowns last year (19 fewer than 2023) while creating 43 field goal chances. The 49ers had almost the same scoring chances over the past two seasons.
Moody can’t offer a higher ceiling in the fantasy market without San Francisco stalling more in the red zone. His kicking opportunity ranks 13th in July, despite having a job loss risk.
The 49ers’ defense fell to 18th in rushing yards allowed (2,118). They gave up 24 touchdowns and 11 runs of 20 yards or more. Ball carriers gained 4.4 yards per rush on 28 runs per game.
San Francisco gave up the third-fewest passing yards (3,476), with 24 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Their defense had 37 sacks. Quarterbacks gained 6.7 yards per pass attempt.
